Workpiece transfer cylinder for rolling mechanisms



Feb. 3, 1959 J. HUBL 2,871,736

WORKPIECE TRANSFER CYLINDER FOR ROLLING MECHANISMS .Filed June 17, 1953 INVENTOR JOHANN HUBL 5 ATTORNEY FIG. 3

United States PatentO WORKPIECE TRANSFER CYLINDER FOR ROLLING MECHANISMS Johann Hiibl, Berlin-Halensee, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Lantlis Machine Company, Waynesboro, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 17, 1953, Serial No. 362,353 Claims priority, application Germany June 25, 1952 1 Claim. (Cl. 80-6) The invention comprises mechanism for rolling work pieces, especially small work pieces on machine tools having rolls, especially thread rolling machines, with carriers segments is associated with a transfer cylinder which is rotated step by step for transferring work pieces and a which surrounds one of the rolls and passes through the rolling space between the rolls. An index mechanism, cam controlled in correspondence with the profile segments, is provided for the transfer cylinder and locks the cylinder in position for the work piece to be operated upon from the beginning to the end of the rolling path of each profile segment. This index mechanism also releases the lock between each two successive rolling paths of the profile segments.

According to the aforesaid application Serial No. 363,729, the control is dependent upon the use of rolls with profile segments, in the use of which the slide of the machine tool is positioned stationarily at a spacing corresponding to the diameter of the work piece to be rolled.

'The rolling path available for rolling each work piece de pends upon the length of the profile segment. It follows that the rolling path is comparatively short and that only work pieces of small diameter can be rolled with these rolls.

The object of the invention is to construct the control of the transfer cylinder in such a way that it may be used 5 for any rolling'path, so'that work pieces of large diameter or those of especially hard' material may also be rolled. In these cases, of course, one revolution of the threading roll is not sufficient.

According to the invention, this is accomplished by constructing a selectively operative or inoperative connecting mechanism to unite the locking lever of the index mechanism of the transfer cylinder, which is provided with carriers, with the slide carrying a roll. Furthermore,

the locking lever is selectively controlled by control cams or by the reciprocating slide. In this way the advantage is obtained that the locking lever, controlled generally by the control disk provided with cams, is also controllable by the slide movement if cylindrical rolls are used instead of rolls provided with profile segments and if the slide movement is controlled in known manner by a timing mechanism. In the case of work pieces which can be rolled completely in as little as one rotation, the locking lever is operated by the control disk mounted at the roll and this operation takes place one or more times according to the required rolling path corresponding to the profile-segment rolls used. The same lever is actuated by the reciprocating slide when the required rolling path is longer than one circumference of the roll and the rolling of the work requires more than one revolution of the roll.

It is advantageous to mount the control disk and the ratchet wheel for the locking lever on the stationarily positioned drive shaft of one of the rolls. This has the advantage of being a particularly simple construction,

2,871,736 .P atented Feb. 3, 1 959 since the index'mechanism is not influenced by the slide movement. i i

A preferred embodiment of the invention is one in which the locking lever is connected to a longitudinally adjustable connecting rod and is controlled in a bearing block mounted on the slide, said bearing block containing a latching mechanism which is controlled by a stationary but adjustable abutment. In this mechanism a latching pin, journalled in the .beraing block, is displaced against the force of a spring by a ratio lever which is contacted by the abutment in the withdrawal movement of the slide and which thereby frees the connecting rod.

A further object of the invention is the particular construction of the control disk which has on its circumference an annular groove to receive and secure interchangeable and adjustable control cams. This construction results in the advantage that the control can'be readily adapted to various profile segment rolls. Heretofore, a control disk was necessary for every profile segment roll so that, when the rolls were changed, the control disk also had to be changed. According to the invention the same control can be used for different profile segment rolls. Since the control cams can be removed from the annular groove, cylindrical rolls can be used without further ado.

For transferring work pieces of different kinds, for example cap screws of various lengths a movable and fixable retaining ring is mounted on the drive shaft in front of the transfer cylinder. This ring is adjustable for different screw-body lengths, so that work pieces having heavy heads are positively transferred during the rolling opera- :machine frame 1 of the thread rolling machine and the drive shaft 4 is mounted on the slide 3. Both drive shafts are driven in the same direction-as shown by the arrowsand carry the operating rolls 5 and 6 which are shown as threading rolls. Obviously the rolls canalso have othe'rprofiles which correspond to the particular profile to be rolled on the work piece 7. In thedrawing acap screw is shown as the work piece. The rolls 5 and 6 are replaceable. Either cylindrical rolls or rolls with spirally rising circumferential surfaces (profile segment rolls) can be used. Cylindrical rolls are shown. In this case the slide 3 is reciprocated in the direction of the arrow 8 by a control mechanism which is known per se and by means of a timing device (not shown). When profile segment rolls are used, the slide 3 is fastened with a fixed space between the rolls.

Feeding is effected by the magazine 9, shown in Fig. 1, to the transfer cylinder 10, which has the recesses 11 arranged at equal intervals on its circumference, which recesses serve as carriers for the work pieces. For reasons of clarity the work pieces in the magazine and in the recesses 11 are not shown. The transfer cylinder 10 is driven from the drive shaft 2 via the coupling ring 12. The coupling ring is engaged by the spring 13 and is guided by the pin-14. The index plate 15 is connected to the transfer cylinder 10 by screws 16. The index plate has index grooves 17 on its circumferenceand the number and angular position of the grooves correspond to the number and angular position of the recesses 11 of the transfer cylinder 10. The locking lever 18 has a projection 13' and a roller 18". The locking projection 18' falls into the index grooves 17. The locking lever 18, which is formed with two arms, is journalled upon the stationary shaft 19. The free end ofthe lever is engaged by the compression spring 20 which urges the projection 18 into the index groove 17.

The control disk 21 with cams 22, which can be installed in the annular dovetail groove 23 and clamped fixedly therein, is used for controlling the locking lever 18 when rolls having profile segments are used. The cams 22 are shown in dotted lines since cylindrical rolls are shown in the drawing and accordingly the locking lever is not controlled by the cams but by the movement of the slide.

For this purpose, the locking lever 18 is linked to the longitudinally adjustable connecting rod 24, which carries the guide bushing 26, provided with the annular groove 25. The bushing 26 is journalled in the bearing block 27 which is secured to the bracket 28, connected to the slide 3 by screws 29. The bearing block contains the bore 30 in which the latching pin 31 is journalled. The pin 31 is prevented from rotating by the pin 32 which slides in the longitudinal groove 33. The latching pin 31 has the projection 34 on its lower end and this projection is urged into the annular groove 25 by the spring 35. The left leg of the bell crank 36, which rocks about the shaft 36', makes contact with the latching pin when the slide 3 withdraws and the shorter end of the bell crank strikes against the stationary but adjustable abut ment 37. This abutment can also be adjusted in such a manner that, when segmental rolls and cam control are used, the latching pin 31 is continuously raised so that the connecting rod 24 is not latched thereby.

In order to feed headed screws into the transfer cylinder positively, the retaining ring 38 is provided. This comprises the head plate 39 and the rear plate 40, the latter having notches 41 for the bodies of the screws. Parts 39 and 49 are secured together. The retaining ring rests on the sleeve 42 of the transfer cylinder 10, which has a key plate 43 with four keys 44 which unite the key plate 43 and transfer cylinder 10. The longitudinally movable retaining ring which is adjustable for various screw lengths, is secured against rotation by the key 45. The screw 46 is used to fasten said ring longitudinally.

The manner of operation is as follows:

For rolling work pieces of small diameter, profile segments rolls are used in connection with the transfer cylinder which rotates step by step to feed the work pieces. The total rise of the profile segments corresponds to the depth rolled into the work piece. The slide is stationary. Two rolls provided with profile segments can be used, each of these rolls having profile segments whose rise is equal to half of the depth to be rolled. However, it is also possible to operate one cylindrical roll with one profile segment roll, in which case the latter roll has segments having the full rise. In general, this arrangement is preferable, since in this case the transfer cylinder surrounds the cylindrical roll, so that only the accessible profile segment roll is to be exchanged when the machine is being set up for another work piece.

Control of the locking lever is effected by the cams 22 of the control disk 21, which cams strike the roller 18" on the locking lever. The bell crank 36 is fixed, by the abutting screw 37 or other adjustable locking means, in such a way that the latching pin 31 is constantly raised so that the connecting rod 24 can reciprocate freely in the bearing block 27. After the rolling path on a profile segment has passed, the control cam 22 contacts the locking lever, unlatching it, so that the transfer cylinder is carried along by the friction drive, until the locking lever again latches the transfer cylinder via the index plate and the new work piece is brought into working position which piece is then rolled by the next profile segment. 9

On the other hand, it work pieces are to be rolled which require a longer rolling path than one rotation of the roll, the profile segment roll is exchanged for a cylindrical roll, so that the rolling process is effected between two cylindrical rolls with controlled movement of the slide. The earns 22 are removed and the bell crank 36 is released by adjusting the abutting screw 37. The locking lever 18 is controlled by the slide movement.

The transfer cylinder is locked in working position because the projection 18' of the locking lever is engaged in the index groove 17. The latching pin 31 has fallen into the annular groove 25 and unites the connecting rod 24 with the bearing block 27, which is secured to the slide. When the slide, which is controlled by the timing device, withdraws, the connecting rod pulls the locking lever 18 against the force of the spring 20 into the unlatched position shown in dotted lines and the transfer cylinder is carried along by the friction drive. In the next instant, the bell crank 36 strikes the abutting screw 37 and is moved to the dotted-line position in which the latching pin 31 is raised. Thereby the connecting rod 24 is freed and the projection 18 of the locking lever falls into the next following index groove 17 of the index plate 15, because of the operation of the compression spring 20, and said projection locks the index plate in the new working position with a new work piece delivered. When the slide again moves forward, the hell crank 36 is removed from the abutting screw 37, the latching pin 31 remains under the influence of the compression spring 35 and immediately latches the connecting rod again, after which the process repeats.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are thereforeintended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United tates Letters Patent is:

Mechanism for rolling work pieces comprising a pair of forming rolls, a slide rotatably supporting one of said rolls, means to move said slide through advance and retract strokes, respectively, toward and away from the other of said rolls, a transfer cylinder surrounding said other of said rolls and adapted to be frictionally driven therewith to transfer successive work pieces from a magazine to a rolling position between said rolls, an indexing plate secured to said transfer cylinder, an indexing lever adapted, when engaged with said indexing plate, to lock said plate and said transfer cylinder against rotation, means resiliently urging said indexing lever into locking engagement with said indexing plate, a push rod connected at one end to said indexing lever, latching means on said slide adapted to connect said push rod to said slide at the end of an advance stroke of said slide whereby said lever will be moved out of engagement with said indexing plate by a subsequent retract stroke of said slide, and means for automatically disconnecting said push rod from said slide whereby said lever is returned to locking engagement with said indexing plate by said resilient means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,475 Hubbell Apr. 4, 1899 917,269 Eden Apr. 6, 1909 1,107,621 Landis Aug. 18, 1914 1,384,585 Barany July 12, 1921 2,048,265 Hatebur July 21, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 495,407 Belgium Aug. 16, 1950 

